| In addition to the musical
influence his grandparents had on him, Collier also remembers something
his grandfather would tell him repeatedly that has always stuck with him
and shaped his life: there were black cowboys in the Wild
West. Although no one else at the time corroborated his grandfather's
story, Collier just knew it was true, and in time, he was proven to be
right.
"I started wearing cowboy hats and things a
long time ago. People thought it was pretty silly and laughed at
me." But he endured the teasing and was delighted when a book
entitled "The Negro Cowboys" was released which revealed the
black influence and participation in shaping the Old West. His
grandfather's words had been proven true . . . He also participated in
reenactments of the Civil War and Old West, performed at Cowboy Festivals
and traveled all over playing and singing. -Krista Bjorn,
Sun-Star reporter Friday August 24, 2001 |
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